The present invention relates to position and motion sensors and, more particularly, to position and/or motion sensors that may be employed in electronically controlled toys.
Various position sensors and devices that sense motion, which may be employed in an electronically controlled doll or toy, are known. It is common for position/motion sensors to employ spatially distributed electrical contacts, such as on the interior of a spherical or other spatial cavity. In such position/motion sensors, a freely movable contact is typically employed that moves about the cavity when the sensor is moved. Examples of various position and motion sensors are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,611,345, 4,496,836, 4,503,299, 4,751,353 and 4,766,275, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference.
The present invention includes a position/motion sensor, such as for use in an electronically controlled toy. The sensor has a housing that defines, in part, an annular track. A cylindrical contact roller is contained within the annular track. The roller indicates motion, or relative position, by electrically coupling electrical contact strips arranged adjacent to the annular track. The contact strips are typically included in a plate that is coupled with the housing. A circuit board, or boards, is also typically coupled with the plate and may transmit electrical signals to and from the contact strips to indicate motion or relative position of the sensor and, in turn, a toy in which such a sensor is employed. In two of the depicted embodiments, a position/motion sensor is included in a doll and a toy vehicle.
The advantages of the present invention will be understood more readily after a consideration of the drawings and the Detailed Description.